CostBolt vs Joist
Joist is a popular contractor app for estimates and invoices — and it's genuinely good at that. But it's not a job costing tool. If you want to know your true profit on every job, here's the honest difference.
| Joist | CostBolt | |
|---|---|---|
| Estimates & invoices | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| True job costing (estimate vs. actual) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Line-item markup per item | ❌ Limited | ✅ Full markup |
| Price book (reusable costs) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Assemblies / kits | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Hide margin from clients | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Team roles (foreman sees costs, not margins) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
The bottom line
Joist helps you send paperwork. CostBolt helps you know your numbers. If you just need to invoice, Joist works. If you need to know which jobs make money — before they end — you need job costing, and that's CostBolt.